The Hot List

After walking away from her career in the international hedge-fund market, Alexandra Du Sold went to Thailand and it was there that she had a spiritual awakening. Now, nearly two years later, Alexandra has a business designing, making and selling scarves, throws and bracelets with her brand APOCCAS. APOCCAS makes its designs in rural village communities in Thailand and these beautiful products are ethical and locally farmed and absolutely eye-catching if we don’t say so ourselves.

Elephant Branded, founded by James Boon, sells remarkable bags but what makes them a truly astonishing brand is the impact they are having on the world. After working in Africa, James was horrified at the utter lack of supplies available within the schools and came up with a simple idea. For every bag you buy from Elephant Branded they supply a child in Africa or Asia with a school bag and kit making a huge difference to their future. The materials for the bags are locally sourced and hand made by local villagers who are paid a fair wage and given the opportunity to learn valuable skills that help them to sustain themselves and their families.

With the dream of a week free of carbon emissions, Decarbonice is using what they call carbon credits to make the world a lot cleaner one card at a time. Every time you buy one of the adorable cards from Decarbonice £2.00 goes towards offsetting CO2 emissions and help make the planet a healthier, happier place. Decarbonice is a nice and easy way to help make the planet just a little bit better.

When Wil Van Der Velden left his fast paced lifestyle and went to the Amazon he not only found himself spiritually but also found a brilliant business opportunity. The Onça formula, designed to be taken twice daily to activate and regenerate, was put together after seven years of research and development which was inspired not only by the Indigenous people’s knowledge but by the Amazon itself. The formula is made from super fruits found growing in the Amazon and is used by a loyal client base that include endurance athletes to working professionals looking for a little help to get through the daily grind. Onça also has a partnership with The Atini – Voice for Life, a non-profit organisation working to defend the rights of Indigenous children, it also prides itself on being both sustainable and giving its customers a sense of wellbeing.